Tuesday, June 6, 2006

The major popular demonstrations are over, without being covered by one single major TV network in the west, but I am hearing about Iranian women going to protest the regime's sexual apartheid policies next week in downtown Tehran and they are asking people to join them as well.

415 women's rights activisits have already signed the public petition aimed at gaining popular support for their next week march, persian website news.gooya.com reports. It is important to say that Iranian women bond quickly together when given common cause and that is a good thing for any Iran based movement to topple the regime. They've already got a strong ally in doing so.

At the same time, a broad spectrum of legitimate Iranian opposition forces from different corners and backgrounds attended an important National Forum in London this week to discuss proper methods to accelerate the process of fundamental democratic changes in their homeland. This meeting in London which I also mentioned earlier had the goal of bringing disintegrated Iranian opposition together to ensure that leftist Iranians, Constitutional monarchists, republican Iranians and others do understand each other and work towards a national congress to ensure that all voices will be heard. Needless to say that these people are among the most trusted and honorable people of the Iranian politics and they seem to be representing almost every single voice of opposition, from Kurdish and Baluchi Iranians to center leftist Iranians who also opposed the late Shah of Iran in 1970s. This is a great piece of news for any Iranian who wishes to see a free and democratic Iran ASAP.

I will keep you posted as this important event unfolds. They do have a web site but it is, unfortunately, only in Persian language. London Conference

I am also hearing that imprisoned students mentioned on my weblog earlier, have made some very limited contatcs with their families but they were in good spirits, and still held by the authorities in notorious Evin prison in north of the city of Tehran.

The student movement will gather signatures in support of the detained students within the next few days and will hold more rallies to help secure their safe release.